Improvement in oil-tanks



UNiTED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

SETH H. INGAIJLS, OF NEV BEDFORD, MASS., ASSIGNOR TO IIIMSELF, JOSHUA K.INGALLS, AND WVM. S. SAMPSON, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN OIL-TANKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,446, dated August 4,1363.

To all whom, it may concern.'

Beit known that I, SETH H. INGALLs, of the city of New Bedford, countyof Bristol, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulmethod of holding petroleum and other oils, also naphtha and oth erproducts of distillation containing essential oils; andI hereby declarethe following to be a full and exact description thereof', referencebeing had to the drawings hereto attached and forming part of thisspecification, and in which-` Figure l is a perspective view. Fig. 2 isa section. Figs. 3 and 4 are top views. Fig. 5 is a sectional view oftank and reservoir, showing more particularly the best plan forreceiving and discharging the oils.

A is a reservoir. B is an inverted tank. C is a waste-pipe or overflow.D is a supply-pipe. E is a receiving and discharging pipe. EZ is abranch of E. T T are stopcocks, and F is a beam holding down tank.

The nature of my invention consists in providing a tank or holder foroils submerged in water, and in so arranging the introduction anddischarge of the oil as to keep the tank always full by the action ofthe water which is kept around the sides and even above the top of thetank to give entire security against tire, and which is allowed to dowinto the tank when oil is being discharged and allowed to escape whenoil is being introduced into the tank.

I construct my reservoir A of mason-work, earthwork,wood, or metal,ofdimensions considerably larger than is required for the oil I purpose tohold, and with compartments, if deemed desirable. Near the bottom Iprovide a supply pipe or conduit, D, and a waste pipe or conduit, O,leading from a certain distance below the surface, so that any oilcollecting upon the surface may be prevented from escaping through thisoutlet.

I construct my tank B of metal or of wood or of masonry,with a pipe, E,for the introduction and discharge of oil. The tank is furnished withV apipe, Gr, communicating from outside of top nearly to the bottom, forthe ingress or egress of water as oil is being introduced or discharged.One or more tanks thus constructed are placed in the reservoir or ineach compartmentv thereof, into which the water is allowed to flow untilthe tank is nearly or wholly submerged; The oil is then `introduced,displacing the water in the tank nearly to the bottom. To discharge theoil I arrange a branch, E2, from the vpipe E, near the surface of thewater in the reservoir, the water thus being made to sustain the oilcompactly against the top of the tank until the oil is entirelydischarged without pump or siphon, and without leaving at any time anyspace for accumulation of gases, and I arrange the stop-cocks T T,whendeemed desirable, below the water-level, as well as the branch pipe E2,so as to shut off all communication between the oil and the atmosphere,so as to preclude all danger from fire. I hold the tank down by anchorsor by beam F, as shown in Fig. 3.

It is obvious that the tanks may be made in compartments aswell as thereservoir, or that a number of tanks may be placed in one compartment,or that compartments in the reservoir may be entirely dispensed with, orthat tanks of this construction may be placed in any basin of water ornatural pond, and se cured in position by suitable frame-work; but suchmodiiications I have not deemed necessary to describe more minutely, asthey would readily suggest themselves as exigencies requiring them mightarise. By my invention I am thus enabled to hold oils secure againstleakage, and against danger from lires.

The great loss by the leakage and evaporation of petroleum and naphthais well known to the public, as well as the destructive fires andexplosions which have resulted from the want of a secure method ofstoring,except at great expense.

The use of common barrels for holding these oils is open to manyobjections, among which is their cost, liability to leakage, extent ofground they occupy, and inflammable character. lVIetal barrels and cansare still more costly and scarce less objectionable in other respects.

. No large metal or wood tanks have yet been so constructed as toprevent fully the loss by evaporation or danger from accumulations ofgas or vapor arising from these oils,and which are highly explosive.

I am aware that patents were granted to H'.

l). Gengexnbre and to George W. Howard, [thereby prevent all possibilityfor acenmulabearing date February 18, 1862, for :methods tion of gasesor vapors and all danger of fire of adjusting the hydrostatic pressureby or explosion therefrom.

means of a skirting, so as to hold eil on Water. 2. The method,substantially as specified,

I therefore do not elaim anything embraced, for introducing anddischarging the oils by substantially, in those inventions; but

1. The tank arranged,substantially as speeied, for the purpose ofholding oils, &e., nnder Water, so as to sustain the oils against thetop of the tank by the pressure of Water, and

hydraulie force.

SETH H. INGALLS.

Witnesses:

WV. Sr. DAME, SAMUEL M. CHAMBERS.

